Following the Chicago Cubs' seven-game comeback victory over the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series, the Tribe became the Major League Baseball franchise with the sport's longest championship drought. Seventy years ago, in 1948, the Indians won their last Fall Classic, defeating the Boston Braves in six games. The winning pitcher in the Game 6 clincher was righty Bob Lemon, who went 2-0 with a sparkling 1.65 ERA in the series. Often overshadowed in Cleveland by fellow Hall of Fame hurlers Bob Feller and Early Wynn, Lemon was a rock solid presence on the mound for the team during his 13-year major league career, all with the Indians. Owner of seven 20-win seasons, as well as a no-hitter, Lemon also won a championship ring as skipper of the 1978 New York Yankees. Taking over for Billy Martin, who left following a spat with owner George Steinbrenner, Lemon guided the Yanks out of a 14-game hole to tie and eventually defeat the Boston Red Sox in a one-game playoff for the American League East title, forever earning New York shortstop Bucky Dent a new middle name. In short, Bob Lemon did it all in the game.
Offered here is a clean and crisp copy of Lemon's 1949 Bowman #238 card, his first mainstream issue, thus deserving rookie card status. This specimen, graded NM-MT 8 by PSA, is an all-around solid card. It is nicely centered, has four well-formed corners, edges free of wear, and pack-fresh obverse and reverse surfaces. In many ways, it is the cardboard analogue to Lemon's pitching career! It certainly won't get the hobby headlines of a high-grade Koufax, Ford, or Feller rookie, but no Cooperstown collection is complete without this vintage pasteboard. And we can assure you there are precious few better looking examples than the one offered here.